Traumatic Impact of Sexual Abuse

Dr. Darlene Holloway, noted for her skill and experience with colonic irrigation and other detox modalities, has an intimate understanding of the way in which the natural processes of the body can be disrupted by traumatic experience. She founded the Alternative Health Center of Cary in 1992, and nearly two decades later she was the first in her specialty to be named the Colon Therapist of the Year by the International Association for Colon Hydrotherapy.

“The body holds patterns,” Dr. Holloway explains. “For example, most people have a bowel movement around the same time each day. The body also holds memories—both negative and positive—and sometimes, the memory of a negative experience can disrupt the normal functions and patterns of the body.”

With years of experience working with a great variety of clients, Dr. Holloway notes that often it’s not uncommon for a past trauma to be responsible for long-term problems of constipation and general bowel dysfunction.

“Sexual abuse is a traumatic experience that comes readily to mind,” she says. “When someone has been sexually abused, their whole body tightens up, like it’s holding on.

Darlene Holloway

For understandable reasons, they don’t want to let anybody in, they don’t want anybody close to them. This is certainly true psychologically and emotionally, but physically, the body reflects this as well.

“Elimination,” she continues, “is all about opening up and letting go. A client may come in having diagnosed herself with constipation, but as we begin the process to address this issue we discover that nothing is working. Supplements don’t work, the colonic itself doesn’t work—nothing is promoting movement.”

At some point, she notes, the highly individualized work she does with each client becomes a truly intuitive process. “When an issue isn’t resolving with the usual methods of treatment, the topic of abuse will inevitably come up, and I can see a change in facial expression as the clients says, ‘Yes, it’s true, I have been sexually abused.’ When this awareness occurs, and is shared, they move to a place where they don’t feel they must present themselves as someone who has not experienced this awful trauma. They begin to open up, and to let go. It’s quite amazing to witness this transition—this process of letting go,” she says.

What is remarkable, Dr. Holloway explains, is that often this “letting go” result is accomplished in a single session, once this connection has been made and acknowledged. “Gaining the awareness of the mind-body-spirit relationship, opening up to that awareness and body sense—this is not something you can just undo. It’s against the flow of nature to try and stop it again,” she says. Often a single session is all we need to move through the impact of this traumatic event.

“However, even in such cases,” she continues, “a series of three colonic treatments is suggested to move to a more balanced and healthy place. When the body holds a certain position for years, the inclination is to attempt to return to that position. Emotionally, the client has opened up, and begun the process of letting go. But the muscles of the colon may be lazy from tightening up and holding on for so long, or from being stretched out, and thus some continued encouragement—through colonic irrigation and carefully selected supplementation. I also, of course, always encourage clients to seek emotional counseling support.”